Parties Agree to Extend Deadline for Proposed Designation of Federal Refuges and Sanctuaries for Florida Manatees

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that
the parties in the lawsuit Save the Manatee Club, et al. v. Ballard,
et al have agreed to extend the timeline by which the Federal agency
must complete a proposed rule for new manatee refuges and sanctuaries
throughout peninsular Florida. The original terms of the settlement
required the rule to be published in the Federal Register by April 2,
2001. Under the new agreement the deadline has been extended to May
2, 2001.

This extension will allow for coordination between the Service and the
State of Florida if the State proceeds with a similar rule making process
for the protection of manatees. The State is currently in settlement
negotiations on their own lawsuit with the same plaintiffs.

"The people of Florida are better served and a great deal of potential
confusion can be avoided if there is Federal and State coordination when
identifying areas where additional protections may be afforded to the
manatee." said Sam D. Hamilton, Regional Director for the Southeast Region
of the Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Service believes the State of Florida should be the primary regulatory
authority in State waters to conserve manatees, have the responsibility to
identify protective areas for manatees, and establish manatee speed zones
in Florida. The Service will work with the State to ensure that a Federal
proposal compliments the State's proposal for the designation of manatee
protection areas. The Service and State are committed to working together
to ensure comprehensive planning and coordination for the overall
protection of the manatee.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency
responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and
plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American
people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge
System which encompasses 531 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small
wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national
fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services
field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the
Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores
nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat
such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation
efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds
of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to
state fish and wildlife agencies.